The Musette: upside-down chocolate crumble cake

Posted on 12/12/2020 by

29 Comments

This is a truly beautiful dessert with serious chocolate power. You may be surprised to see that I place the crumble under, rather than over, the filling. This gives a fantastic texture and is also extremely simple to prepare. Believe it or not, the French had no idea of crumble until they were introduced to it by the British…cela change! As an added bonus, this dessert can be made up to one day in advance and kept in the fridge.

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

Crumble base

  • 35g (2 1/2 tbsp) cold butter, unsalted
  • 35g (2 3/4 tbsp) raw sugar
  • pinch sea salt
  • 30g ( 1/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 1½ tsp unprocessed cocoa powder

Chocolate cream

  • 1 medium organic egg
  • 90ml (3/4 cup) thick (heavy) cream
  • 1 tsp espresso coffee powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 150ml (2/3 cup)  full-fat milk
  • 155g (5 1/2oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa), roughly chopped

Method

1.Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC/150ºC fan/gas mark 3 (325ºF/300ºF fan).

2. Line an oven tray with greaseproof paper and place an 18cm (7″) tart ring on it.

3. In a large bowl mix all the crumble ingredients together and gently, using your fingertips, rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles a course breadcrumb texture.

4. Sprinkle the crumble evenly into the tart ring and press down lightly.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes before removing from the oven and leaving to cool.

6. Now make the cream. In a separate bowl crack the egg and lightly whisk to loosen it.

7. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the cream and milk to the boil. Pour onto the beaten egg and whisk. While the mixture is still hot, add the chocolate, espresso powder and vanilla, and stir gently until smooth. It is important that the cream and milk are boiling as you add it to the beaten egg, as this will partially cook it, making it safe to eat and will also help to set the dessert as it cools.

8. Pour into the mould on top of the crumble base and leave to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

9. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle chopped, toasted hazelnuts – enjoy!

Sheree’s Handy Hints

1. You could make this non-dairy by using a plant based milk and cream, such as oat or cashew, and replacing the butter with neutral flavoured coconut oil or a vegan spread but it won’t taste as good.

2. You can make this orange flavoured by replacing the coffee and vanilla with Grand Marnier or Cointreau, infusing the milk with some orange peel and adding grated orange zest to the crumble.

3. A rose by any other name, right? Chocolate crumble is the same as chocolate soil. Make more than you need and sprinkle it on a plate topped with anything from panna cotta to a scoop of your favourite ice cream.

Category: Food and WineTags: , ,

29 Comments on “The Musette: upside-down chocolate crumble cake”

  5. Pingback: The Musette: upside-down chocolate crumble cake — View from the Back | Ups Downs Family History

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